According to a leaked NPR member newsletter, released on Wednesday, Google will launch its podcast service on Android "and other platforms" early next week. As Engadget points out, consumers should take this news with a grain of salt: Still unconfirmed by Google, the report could have been falsified—like when HBO's Bill Simmons incorrectly tweeted a February podcast start date. NPR, however, boasts that it "worked with Google to ensure that public radio is represented in the Google Play environment."

Initially announced in October, Play Music's podcast service is expected to include more than a dozen popular streams, like HBO, How Stuff Works, Star Trek Radio, and This Week in Tech, as well as those by Nerdist, Slate, and others. Once it launches, the new feature will make it easier to discover podcasts, based on your mood or interests—similar to the Google Play Music platform.

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In preparation for the launch, Google last fall created a portal for podcasters in the US to start uploading their shows to Play Music before the feature opens to listeners. Since February, folks have reported seeing hints of support, like a podcast icon hidden in the mobile app's side menu.

Google, however, has remained tight-lipped about the program; the Web giant did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

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Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio

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